I paint a little every day

Finished Beaver Pond

I’m not sure if this one actually completed or if I just got too tired of it. It never actually gelled, meaning that the reality illusion never really took off. With some like Pebble Beach, I can’t look at it without the illusion that it is leaping off the canvas. This one never did that.

I usually start with the background, then I add details with a somewhat smaller brush. The reality illusion usually starts here. Occasionally it surprises me but usually it’s quite predictable. I continue adding more and more detail until the illusion of reality doesn’t change. This time the illusion didn’t show up until the very end and then it wasn’t very clear. At this point adding more detail is outrageously tiring and annoying. So I’m done.

I have to be patient with many paintings. With Pebble Beach the illusion didn’t show up until the very last but then it came with a vengeance. Parts of the painting that I wasn’t very happy with suddenly leaped off the canvas. So I’m not the best judge on which parts of the painting will ultimately contribute to the illusion. I’m sure that some people looking at the painting will never experience the illusion; others will experience it strongly.

This sudden illusory appearance of reality is what I enjoy about painting. When it doesn’t happen it’s very frustrating. Strangely once the painting is done I don’t value it much, even if the illusion is strong. A year from now when I look at it again and if the reality illusion is strong, it will likely surprise me.